Life is Beautiful
by Setsuna37313
Summary: When a SOLIDER fails her mission and is left with a case of amnesia, Zack is the only one free to actually remind her of who she was. ZackxOC, ZackxAerith, and onesided CloudxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Life is beautiful**

Okay, so I came up with this idea while reading fan fiction on here. I know a lot of you despise OC's, but I don't care enough to stop writing and posting this. xD Besides, this character I use in role plays, but changed up a bit. I thought it might be interesting story…Anyways onto the disclaimer and summary stuff 8D. Oh, and please no flames... Constructive criticism is okay, I want to better my writing.

**Summary:** When a SOLIDER fails her mission and is left with a case of amnesia, Zack is the only one free to actually remind her of who she was. However, this would be a lot easier if Zack had known who she was before the incident. Either way, Zack's determined to successfully complete this mission-even if it does drive him insane.

**Pairings:**Mainly going to be ZackxOC, but slight ZackxAerith and one sided CloudxOC.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII, or the characters or anything along with it. The only thing I own is my character, which came from my own demented mind. Don't sue my ass. : D

* * *

_**There's nothing like a trail of blood to find your way back home.**_

It was night when she was rushed into the medical ward of the ShinRa building. She had been suffering from head trauma, a dark bruise on her forehead over her left temple and eyebrow, her cheeks were bruised.

She was unconscious and when she woke up she had no idea where she was. None what so ever and that scared her. When a nurse in white walked in carrying a clipboard that contained information on her condition, the ravenette shot up blood red eyes narrowing, "Where _the_ _hell_ am I?"

The nurse regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "You're in the medical ward of the SOLDIER building. How are you feeling?" The young woman on the hospital bed looked at her, a look of confusion on her face.

"What's SOLDIER? What happened to me?" She asked, trying to hide the distress in her voice. The nurse blinked, and set the clipboard down.

"You were jumped suddenly. That's all we know. Sephiroth's waiting to talk to you." At the name, the woman looked even more confused if possible. "Who's Sephiroth?"

The nurse picked up the clipboard and began walking out of the room. "I'll be right back, I need to speak to your doctor immediately." The brunette nurse hadn't been expecting that the woman had no recollection of anything. A case of amnesia? The doctor hadn't even predicted that as a possibility. "Doctor…it's about Miss Tessiel…" She trailed off, having earned the doctors attention whom was busy stitching up a new recruits arm from a gash he had earned during a normal training session. "Yes, what is it?"

"She seems to have a case of amnesia." She stated, watching him stop working and stand up. "How can this be possible? The trauma to her head shouldn't have caused such a reaction…" He trailed off in deep thought, adjusting his glasses. The nurse shrugged, "Perhaps its post traumatic stress, you know a lot of the soldiers suffer from it at times." He nodded thoughtfully, "I suppose you're right. We'll have to inform Sephiroth immediately. He won't be pleased about this. Please finish stitching up this young man so I can further inspect Miss Tessiel."

The nurse nodded only once, and the doctor had disappeared into the soldier's room. "Good afternoon Miss Tessiel…" He said entering and examining her documents again. She looked in at him slightly unnerved. "Tessiel?" She asked, head tilting curiously. He nodded, "Your last name."

"Oh." She responded, biting her lip awkwardly. Sitting down, he crossed a leg. "Shadow, what do you remember about…well…anything?"

"Anything? Well, now that you mention it, I remember my name. Simple math, spelling, that stuff. Other then that. Nothing. I don't know what I do or what this place is…" She replied tilting her head to look at the ceiling in a bored manner. He sighed, "This is an unusual side effect. Your head injury shouldn't have caused this." At his words, she just seemed to acknowledge the pain above her temple, touching the purple bruise lightly.

The doctor stood up and moved to leave, and Shadow raised her eyebrow. "Where are you going?" She asked, more out of boredom then actual curiosity. The doctor turned very slight to answer her, "To inform your boss of your immediate condition." She sighed a bit and lay back against the bed to continue to stare at the ceiling.

* * *

**"What do you mean amnesia?"**Sephiroth growled into the phone, aware that the doctor was probably shaking on the other end of the phone. He had been expecting a call on how Shadow was doing, but when the doctor said she couldn't remember anything about what had happened, much less her own name the general just lost a bit of patience. "I'm pretty sure it's just that she's repressing it, in other words a case of post traumatic stress. She'll remember everything eventually." Sephiroth let out a small sigh, and muttered a thanks before hanging up the phone.

What was he going to do? He had no time to baby-sit the second class recruit. Not a lot of his underlings did either. Shuffling through his underlings and what they were doing mentally, like he would with his paperwork, he realized that the best way to handle this was just to let Zack re-educate the woman on everything she needed to know about SOLDIER. Plus, she might actually move up to first class working along Zack. He knew Zack was a mentor towards the one kid with the weird blond hair that reminded him of a chocobo, but it would probably do that kid good to learn to socialize a bit more as well.

* * *

"Zack, were you listening?" Sephiroth asked sounding annoyed, rubbing his temples seeing as a rather powerful headache was coming on. Zack looked up with his light blue eyes. "Huh? Oh yeah. Some chick lost her memory and you want me to re-educate her about ShinRa and SOLDIER. I got you." Sephiroth rolled his eyes and held in a small groan. "She's not just a chick. She's a second class who was on a mission of utmost importance. It's extremely important for her to remember what happened on that mission and to report back. We _could_ be talking about saving lives here Zack." He said slowly, as if trying to get it through his head.

Zack smirked a bit and stood up. "So this is what has your panties in a twist. Don't worry Sephiroth, I'll make sure she has her memory back within a week." Sephiroth shot him a half-glare, and rolled his eyes. "You do realize how short a week is, correct?" Zack nodded calmly, and waved his hand as if to ignore that little detail. "Yeah, but it won't be that hard will it?" He seemed to ask himself more then Sephiroth.

Sephiroth was slightly amused by how Zack was acting. But then again Zack always did like to play the role as the knight in shining armor coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress. He chuckled a bit at the thought, knowing fully well that Shadow wouldn't allow such a thing and smirked up at him. Zack gave Sephiroth a look and raised an eyebrow. "What do you know that I don't?" Sephiroth tilted his head and his lips twitched upward slightly trying to look innocent but failing rather significantly. "The more appropriate question is, what do I not know?"

* * *

Zack's newest mission was starting today. He was going to call it, Operation MEMORY. He had been informed on the woman he would be watching until she remembered how ShinRa and SOLDIER operated. He was also told upon arrival where to find the woman in the medical ward. She was staring out the window, and didn't notice him come in. It gave him time to observe his newest project.

Said project had long black hair. She looked younger then him, around Cloud's age maybe. He quirked an eyebrow, leaning against the frame of the door. He wasn't sure if he was waiting to be noticed, or simply was intrigued by this woman.

There wasn't anything strange about her. Until she turned to him and their eyes met. Crimson. It nearly caused him to jump back in surprise. However a small "Ooh!" Escaped his lips, causing the girl to tilt her head and shift backwards in the bed in an attempt to hide. What was bothering him is why her eyes were crimson, despite being a SOLDIER. Mako injections and exposure did normally change one's eye color - but he had never seen anyone with that color eyes. Perhaps it was because of her gender? There weren't many female SOLDIERS running about ShinRa, mainly due to the health risks. Not to mention, from what he had heard mako didn't necessarily mix well with female physiology.

"Are you going to stare at me all day or do you actually have a reason to be here?" She asked suddenly, on the defensive. Zack grinned, and sauntered in, dragging a chair next to her bed. "If you want, I can stare at your pretty face all day." He purred, earning a harsh glare that made him want to giggle. He could tell she was still weak from pain medication, but was trying to summon up strength to smack him or at least chase him out of the room. He found it completely amusing.

However, he really shouldn't play with the poor thing. She had amnesia, as Sephiroth and the doctor had told him. She didn't remember anything important. Like what it was to be a SOLDIER. "My names Zack Fair, I was assigned to help you remember the goings on of SOLDIER and to accompany you on your future missions until you return to the status you once held." He said, quoting Sephiroth.

"What? I don't need help. I'm perfectly fine. See?" She said, moving out of the bed, and standing up and beginning to walk around. "I'm in perfect condition! I just-" She was cut off as she tripped over a cord that was attached to the bed. Zack, being the quick thing he was, stood and caught her in his arms. He smirked down at her. "Are you always this clumsy or is it because I'm around?"

It was then she did something he didn't expect of the small female. She punched him right in the cheek! "Ow! What was that for?" He howled, letting go after moving her back to the bed. "For being an annoying ass!" Zack's arms crossed, lips forming into a pout. Was he annoying? No, Okay well, he had been playing with her a bit. He guessed he deserved that…_kind of_.

Her arms were crossed, and she refused to look at him. Oh, he didn't deserve that! Pouting slightly, he lowered his head to her eye level, moving his face in front of hers so she was more or less forced to look at him. He grinned as she glared. "Awh, is it that hard to look at me? Surely I'm not that ugly!" She mumbled something incoherent and shifted to look away again.

Zack rolled his eyes and leaned back into the chair. "Whenever you're ready, I'll take you back to your apartment."

"You know where it is? Stalker…" She commented dryly, Zack giving her a grin. "Oh yeah, I even set up cameras in your shower!" Shadow paled a bit, and Zack snickered, obviously amused by the reaction.

"Whatever, I'm ready." She said, standing up and flicking some ravenette strands of hair over her shoulder. Zack grinned, nodding as he led her out of the room and out of the medical ward. "Do you remember which it is?" He asked, glancing back at her curiously. Shadows mouth opened to respond, but closed and she frowned. "I…I don't remember." She whispered finally, looking up at him weakly. He smiled widely, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her body against his comfortingly. "Don't worry! I found out from Sephiroth which one it is!"

Shadow looked up at him, and frowned slightly but said nothing. He continued to look down, guiding her through the many halls of ShinRa. She didn't seem to recognize anything yet. Maybe this would be harder then he thought. How was he actually supposed to do this while taking care of Cloud all the time? Geeze, this was like babysitting…

"You took this job thinking it would be easy?" Shadow asked suddenly, crimson eyes on him. Zack jumped slightly under her intense gaze. "Did you just read my mind or something?!" Her eyes moved away from his and chuckled a bit. "No, you're face is extremely readable. You wear your emotions on your sleeves." Zack pouted, letting out a huff as he reached the door that was hers. She was second class, so she had her own room. Grunts usually shared barracks and such. It was more or less a reward.

He dug a gloved hand into his pocket and began fishing around for her keys. "Crap, where the hell did I put them?!" He nearly shouted as he dug in his pockets. "Did you lose my keys?" Shadow asked to him with a frown. "Uhh…no! I just misplaced them!" He replied with a sheepish grin.

* * *

Omnomnoms! : D That's the first chapter people. I had to have that random cliff-hanger because...well the next chapters going to get interesting, I hope. xD

Read, review and favorite. ; D


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I'd like to thank Alumia and Ninja Cat of Light for reviewing. I really appreciated it, and thus dedicate this second chapter to you, since you enjoyed the first so much.  
Now Zack to do the disclaimer! XD

Zack: Setsuna doesn't own anything! Because if she did, I'd still be alive and-  
Setsuna: -covers his mouth- Uhm…Nothing! xDD On with the show!  
Cloud:…Don't you mean fanfict?  
Set: Yes! D:

* * *

"I'm **not** staying in this room with you overnight." Shadow said calmly, arms crossed as she sat icily on one of the twin beds in the small bedroom. Zack let out an aggravated noise as he ran his hands through his hair, pacing around the room trying to remember where he had placed those keys. "It's not like I'm going to molest you in your sleep or something!" He shouted, arms flailing about wildly.

"Who's molesting who in whose sleep?" A soft voice asked from the door way. Zack looked up, and waved at the blond who was entering carrying his helmet.

"Heya Cloudy! And I'm not molesting anyone, got it?" He moved to shoot a look at Shadow who rolled her eyes. She looked up at the blond curiously, before back to Zack with a head tilt. "Oh yeah, umm Cloud this is… Second Class Commander Shadow Tessiel. She's the Soldier who I was telling you about."

Cloud suddenly stiffened and saluted. Shadow snorted softly, and flopped back against the bed. "Don't bother cadet." Zack looked up in surprise and tilted his head, hand rubbing his neck in confusion. "I didn't introduce him as a cadet Shadow…" He said slowly, a smile broadening his features. Eyes rolled once more, "I guess a force of habit? I don't know, it just came out."

"Oh, well anyways…Cloud is my roommate." Zack said with a grin. "Nice to meet you, commander," Cloud said softly, looking briefly at her. Shadow let out a loud snort, sending a light kick at Zack's lower back. "See! I can't stay here when you never even asked your roommate!"

Zack let out a noise of annoyance, but grinned and turned to Cloud – eyes taking on that begging puppy look he often used on the blond and his mentor. "Cloudy, Old buddy, Old pal…" Cloud looked at his mentor in amusement, head tilting slightly. "I lost her keys, so I need to make it up to her and she doesn't have anywhere to stay..." Zack ranted, making sure to pout and look innocently at Cloud.

Cloud looked down at Zack from where he was sitting, perched on the edge of the bed. "Only if you don't molest her." Zack's eyes widened, arms flailing wildly as Cloud and Shadow snickered to themselves. They had just met and they were already teaming against him! "I will not. You know I have a girlfriend." Zack said with a small frown, arms crossing with a small huff.

Cloud stopped laughing, and nodded calmly. "I was kidding, but yeah she can stay. One problem though, where is she going to sleep?" Shadow shifted uneasily, and Zack's face went blank for a moment which meant he was deep in thought. "She can sleep in my bed. I can take the couch."

"It's only one night though, right? I don't want to put either of you out…" Shadow murmured, looking between them. Zack nodded immediately, "It shouldn't take more then a day to get another…awh! She cares about me!" He sang, wrapping his arms around her with a grin. Shadow stiffened, wriggling and finally pushed him off.

Zack pouted with a small whine, Cloud merely rolling his eyes at the elders antics. A smirk did move onto his lips though as he watched the first class interact with her. It was amusing to see Zack put off by a female. Zack really was too affectionate for his own good. Especially with this new mission of his. If he didn't learn quickly, he'd get punched or worse. Oh, if only Cloud knew…

"So, when are you going to start reminding me of my position and all that jazz?" Shadow asked, eyes closed in a slightly relaxed manner. Zack lifted his head, lips pursing as he thought for a moment. "Hmm…anytime you want to, princess." The nickname came out before he had even realized he had given it. Shadow sat up and glared. "Don't call me princess."

Zack grinned wildly; this was way too much fun. "Why not princess?" Shadow let out a howl of anger, and threw a pillow at Zack's head. A loud laugh escaped Cloud's lips, unable to control it as he sat on his own bed to watch the two. Zack let the pillow hit his face before he removed it with a grin. "See? You're such a spoiled little princess. It fits you perfectly." Zack said to her, glancing at Cloud and back to the raven haired girl who was still glaring at him. A huff escaped her lips, a pout forming on her lips.

"I hate you." She said, arms crossing over her chest. It was now Zack's turn to pout, and moved over her, tickling her sides. "You do not! No one can't love me!" Zack said, earning giggles from the girl, squirming under him. Cloud smiled a bit, the two acted like siblings. Or perhaps even lovers…though that wouldn't work. Zack had Aerith, and he loved her unconditionally. Cloud frowned thoughtfully, but said nothing as he removed his boots and tuned out their bickering.

However he was surprised when a pair of crimson eyes were right in front of his dark blue ones. He jumped back in surprise, earning a laugh from Zack. Shooting the other man a glare, he looked at Shadow curiously who just grinned a bit. "Sorry, Zack wanted me to scare you. He said you're a bit of a space cadet." Cloud rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at Zack who caught it and threw it back. "I'm not used to having anyone except Zack sneak up on me when I'm thinking." He replied, as his eyes flickered over to the first class as he stood and made his way to the refrigerator.

"So Shadow, can you cook?" Zack asked, stomach growling loudly. Shadow yawned a bit, rubbing her scalp in thought. "Depends on what, I can cook really good ramen and sweets." She said with a shrug. Zack's eyes suddenly brightened at the word 'sweets'. "You mean like cakes and stuff?" He asked excitedly, bouncing up and down. Shadow glanced at Cloud, whose eyes were wide and he was quickly shaking his head and mouthing 'Don't do it!'

Shadow stood up and suddenly Zack was in front of her with those puppy-like eyes. "Those don't work on me." She said, one hand on her hip with an eyebrow raised slightly. "Please make dinner for us! We're men, and we have no cooking talent whatsoever!" Cloud snorted a bit, eyes rolling. "Speak for yourself Zack. I can cook just fine."

"See, I don't have to cook. Cloud's here to cook for you." Shadow replied with a grin, making Zack frown. Cloud stood up, "Hey! That sounds like I'm his wife or something." Shadow snickered a bit, and grinned innocently. "Alright, I'll cook for you tonight. But only because Cloud's being nice and letting me stay here." Shadow said, moving into the kitchen to dig through the cupboards and fridge. Zack pouted a bit, wandering in after her. "What about me?"

"What about you?" Shadow asked, looking back at him with a curious look. Zack let out an annoyed sigh. "Never mind princess." She glanced at him, but said nothing, quickly turning on the small oven to get the water boiling. Zack walked back into the bedroom area and flopped on his bed with a loud sigh. Cloud looked at him curiously, "Something wrong Zack?"

Zack looked up at the blond and shrugged his shoulders. However his facial expression and body language said he was not fine. "I don't know Cloudy. I just…she aggravates me to no end." Cloud smiled a bit, and stood up moving to sit next to Zack and pat his head gently, like the older male did to him. "It's just because she won't let you be affectionate to her. It's obvious that despite forgetting ShinRa she didn't forget what they drill into your head about being overly cautious." Zack smiled slightly and looked up at Cloud. "You're right Cloudy. But…something else is bothering me too."

Cloud looked at him, studying his facial features. "What's bothering you?" He was concerned about his mentor. Zack paused, lifting his head from his hands slowly. "She's familiar to me. I don't know why either. It's bothering me Cloud. _Why can't I remember_?"

* * *

Dunadun! Plot twist! Why is she so familar to Zack? No one knows! Well, I do but thats a secret! :3  
Well, Review and favorite please. Sorry it took so long to update. I had bad writers block. xx


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to all my lovely reviews once again

Thanks to all my lovely reviews once again. I know that original characters aren't exactly popular, but I appreciate your reading, reviewing and such. It makes me happy. ; D

I was particularly pleased with how this chapter turned out. I had an amazing amount of muse, and hopefully said muse will continue to work and inspire me.

Now, for the disclaimer! This time it'll be done by…-drumrolls- … Sephiroth!

Sephiroth: Why am I here again?  
Set: The disclaimer.  
Sephiroth: This wasn't part of my contract...  
Set: Too bad. 8|  
Seph: Fine. Setsuna does not own Final Fantasy Vii, Crisis core or anything like that.

* * *

It turned out that Shadow was telling the truth about making ramen. It was amazing, and Zack was seriously considering eating ramen for the rest of his life. He had watched her make it with interest, after she had refused three offers of help after Cloud had informed her he couldn't cook anything. Zack had protested this, saying he could heat up microwavable dinners. Needless to say, Shadow hadn't let Zack into the kitchen until the food was ready.

She had found all she needed by raiding the cabinets and fridge like she owned the place. The corner of Zack's lips had curved upwards in a small smirk. He took the chance to study her from the distance of the living/bedroom. He hadn't noticed it before, but the young woman had a nice figure. It reminded him of an hourglass, but with softer curves. However he ripped his gaze away feeling Cloud's disapproving look. He shot the blond a sly grin and a shrug. He was a man after all, and he wanted to look.

But then again Cloud seemed to be above such things. Though the other male was younger, he knew the blond was interested in females. He gave a sneaky glance to the blond out of curiosity. The blond was watching her, though it was purely out of curiosity. Cloud seemed so innocent and young at that moment, Zack let out a tiny chuckle. He knew otherwise that Cloud at times could be a man. Though the lack of women in ShinRa and Cloud's country upbringing had taught him to be a gentleman. Sadly the same could not be said for Zack.

"Ramen's done." Shadow said so quietly Zack had almost missed it. Cloud was already in the kitchen, obviously having noticed the food was done before Shadow had spoken. He was removing bowls from the cabinets, and Zack grinned at the sight. It was almost as if the two were a married couple. Zack was tempted to squeal out loud, but held it back seeing as the blond cadet and woman would not react kindly to it.

As she was pouring the ramen into the bowl, some of it splashed out and got on Shadows arm. The only indication of this was a small hiss. However she didn't bother moving her arm until Cloud took the pan from her, placing it down and putting her arm under the water. Zack notice her stiffen at Clouds touch, and then relax. They were exchanging words, but he couldn't hear them. They were too soft.

Zack stood, and moved into the kitchen. He didn't like feeling left out, and he didn't know why that Cloud touching Shadow was bothering him. Actually when he thought about it, it was more the quiet spoken words between them that made Shadow relax. Zack couldn't get Shadow to relax in the hours he had known her. Cloud had been able to do it in mere minutes. Maybe he was too used to being the knight in shining armor. Either way, Zack felt uncomfortable and finished the job of pouring the soup while sniffing at it eagerly. It smelled delicious and was able to rid his mind of the jealousy that plagued it for no reason.

There was no table in the kitchen, so the three decided to eat the soup on a coffee table that had been against the wall. Now it was in the middle of the floor with Zack, Cloud and Shadow sitting in silence around it. Though the silence didn't last long, when Zack started eating he was practically inhaling it, and Shadow stopped eating to watch him with an amused look dawning her features.

"Ohmaigod…this is fucking amazing." Zack said putting his bowl down finally when it was empty. Cloud nodded slightly in agreement with Zack, though he clearly still had his manners about him. "I'm glad you think so…but do you have to eat like a pig?" Shadow asked, grinning now. Zack frowned a bit, his lower lip forming an indignant pout. "For your information I was very hungry…and it's been awhile since I had a home cooked meal."

The truth behind it was suddenly making Zack homesick, and he could sense it was doing the same to Cloud by his silence. Shadow stirred the noodles, chicken and veggies with her fork before looking up at the two men. "I wouldn't know. Never had one." Zack blinked before letting out a loud noise, "WHAT?!"

Shadow flinched at the noise, but shrugged a bit. "My parents died when I was young. I don't remember much. I came to ShinRa shortly after their death. I don't even remember where I was born." Zack's violet eyes softened a bit, and he crawled around the small table to drape an arm around her shoulders. "Because of the amnesia?" He asked softly, not noticing Cloud watching with curious eyes. She shrugged a bit, "No, I didn't know before either. But you know what they say, knowledge is power." There was a roll of those crimson eyes that made Zack's lips quirk upwards once more.

"Hmm… if that's true why is Zack so stupid?" Cloud asked suddenly, a smirk on his lips. The raven haired woman laughed, head tilting back as Zack huffed loudly in Cloud's direction. "For your information Cloudy-boy I'm extremely intelligent when I want to be."

"That's not often, is it?" Shadow asked with a grin, causing Zack to pout once more and move his hand to ruffle her layered locks.

"Zack!" Zack's gaze shot up immediately to Cloud who had said his name with such urgency. He then followed Cloud's pointed finger to Shadow, whose eyes were glazed over and hazy. "Shadow?" Zack said, shaking her lightly. Her body had tensed suddenly, and she hunched over, hands moving to tangle in her bangs – gripping harshly. Cloud rushed over now, a hand gently falling onto her back. Zack had scooted back to avoid touching her, since it was obvious by her tense form something was wrong or she didn't like it. However as Cloud began rubbing gentle circles on her back, she slowly relaxed and her eyes became unclouded.

"What happened?" Zack asked somewhat shakily. He couldn't shake off the feeling she had remembered something. He had seen the look before, because it was more often then not that during mako injections the reaction caused was some sort of memory loss. Some people suffered huge gaps in their memories, some didn't even notice anything until it came up years later.

"Nothing…I'm fine." Shadows voice was cold and harsh once more. The same as when he had first encountered her in the medical ward. Untrusting again, she stood up and moved towards his bed, lying with her back towards Zack and Cloud. Zack's eyes moved to Cloud, with a look of confusion and hurt. Seeing the look in Zack's eyes, Cloud moved a hand to Zack's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The blond wasn't sure what to say to Zack.

It was hurting Zack in ways Cloud couldn't imagine. Zack had always been the hero. Now his pride was undergoing serious hits. No one had ever flinched away from Zack like that before. He was always told his presence was soothing and it was impossible to not like him. Cloud had always agreed with this. But Shadow was different. Cloud knew that it was bothering Zack to not be able to help her. Even though they had only just met, Zack always formed bonds with people quickly. It was hurting him to know that Cloud was able to comfort her, but he was not. The one who was sent to do so.

Cloud didn't know what to say, but the hand on Zack's shoulder seemed to rekindle the man's spirits. A small, but weak smile spread onto Zack's lips. "You're a good man Cloudy." He said softly, standing up and moving to flop on the couch in an undignified way. Cloud smiled slightly, and shook his head. "I'm going to bed early tonight. I have exams tomorrow." Zack nodded, a hand appearing over the back of the couch waving at Cloud. "Night Spikey…" Zack said softly, his own eyes closing with a soft yawn.

* * *

Being the light sleeper he was, it was not strange for him to wake up in the middle of the night due to little sounds. Though, the sounds weren't little due to his mako enhanced senses, and the ones tonight were not especially quiet. Even to normal human standards.

Violet eyes shifted open as he heard the creaking and sheets twisting coming from his bed. For a moment, he wondered if Cloud was doing something with Shadow but when he picked his head up he noted that Cloud was still sleeping in his bed. Shadow was tossing and turning, mumbling to herself in her sleep. Zack wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, or even when the young woman had. But she certainly wouldn't be asleep for long.

Standing and kicking off his boots, which he had forgotten to do earlier, he moved silently besides the bed. The shifting and whimpering got worse, and slowly the dark haired male took a seat on the very edge of the bed and grabbed onto the girls shoulders. "Shadow…wake up." Zack whispered, trying not to wake up Cloud as he gently shook the female.

Crimson eyes suddenly met his, though they weren't exactly seeing as she continued struggling against him. "No no…let me go...please." It came out a soft whimper as she struggled against him, but finally Zack sighed and brought her to his chest. "It was just a dream Shadow." He murmured quietly, stroking her hair. It was soft silky, and he could feel her relax under the petting. "Just a dream?" Was her only vague reply as she shifted closer to him. Her voice was disbelieving, and he didn't know what other to say but, "Yeah, just a dream princess."

There was no reply to the nickname that she had blatantly despised earlier, so he knew that she was extremely bothered. He held her still against his chest, feeling her hands clutch the fabric of his shirt in her fists. "More like bad memories…"She quietly murmured, and Zack looked down at her. "Wanna tell Zacky what they were?" He asked softly, looking down at her in an attempt to catch her eyes.

Feeling his gaze, the crimson eyes slowly moved up to his face, her own head lifting slightly. She shook her head 'no', and tried shifting away from him. _'It must be uncomfortable to be comforted'_, Zack thought, loosening his grip on the girl. Shadow slowly shifted out of his lap and back onto the bed and under the covers. Her back turned to him once more, and he let a hand move to touch her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay, Shadow?"

Her name on his lips made her turn to look at him. The eyes were full of fear, pain and confusion. She shrugged a bit, and let the tip of her tongue slide from between her full lips to wet them. "I…I don't know. Will you stay with me?" Zack smiled and nodded, slowly easing into a laying down position besides her. "As long as you need me princess," He responded with a grin. Her eyes rolled before her head settled back down on the pillow, but Zack's arm moved lazily around her waist to bring her close to him once more.

His body heat sent her to sleep extremely quickly, making Zack smile in amusement. Sighing softly, he moved closer and pressed a kiss to the back of her head before lying back down against his pillows. It didn't take much longer for sleep to overcome him.

* * *

"_Alright ladies, I want you all to form a nice line so we can determine who to pair you up with." Zack rolled his eyes at the words, but stood next to his friends with a small snort. Being a cadet sucked, and he only wished that his first day in training would go a helluvah lot faster so he could be on his way into SOLDIER. However his name suddenly caught his attention as the teacher called whom he would be paired with._

"_Zackary Fair? Come on forward, top of the class." There would be teasing from this coach apparently. Making fun of his skill to rank top in the cadets entry exams. Not necessarily the written ones either. Stepping forward to standing in front of his instructor he looked around in hopes of spotting his opponent for the day. There was a few large bulky men that looked like they might be a challenge. But other then that it looked like the class was full of pansies._

"_Welcome to ShinRa princess. Since you're top of the class, you won't mind a little challenge will you?" The instructor asked, a smirk on his lips and a devilish look in his eyes. "Sir no sir!" Zack said, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement. The instructor merely smirked a bit, as if he knew something that Zack did not. Zack was going to take down this opponent and prove that he was the best and that he deserved to be here._

"_Your opponent for the day, if you can handle it, will be Shadow Tessiel. Shadow! Get your ass in gear!" The instructor shouted, almost losing the grip on his clipboard. Running through his mind was, 'who the hell has the name Shadow?' but his thought were quickly erupted when his opponent stepped forward from the shadows._

_It was a woman, no a girl. Zack's face fell, and he shot the instructor a look that clearly said, 'I will set you ablaze right now'. Even the whole class was snickering, which the female ignored. There was no emotion on her face, but Zack took the moment to study his opponent and think of all the ways he could beat her. It would be __**so**__ easy. She looked almost frail, but her head was held high as she walked, as If the bitch owned the place._

_She had short dark hair, chopped off bluntly around her jaw line. Her eyes were a crimson color that Zack had never seen before, but that wasn't what was aggravating. It was that knowing smirk that was set on her full lips as she stood in front of him, smirking up at him. His fists clenched, how in the hell did she think she had a chance against him? He was THE Zack Fair! No one was even close to beating him._

"_Am I really supposed to fight her instructor?" Zack complained, hands on his hips. "Yes Fair, you will fight her and enjoy it if you can, while your pansy ass is getting kicked." The man replied with a roll of his eyes. Zack let out a snort, but was met with a harsh glare and crimson eyes. "Don't worry babe, I'll make this nice and quick."_

_A snort was her reply, as she turned to move to the middle of the training gym. Zack followed her, standing the opposite of her by about twenty feet. "Alright ladies, lets start with the rules. No death blows, no hitting below the belt and no hitting of the breasts on your part Zack."_

_"-But she doesn't have any sir." Zack argued, earning another glare from the girl._

"_Moving on, no death blows, winner is the one standing. Begin." The instructor said, obviously going to enjoy this very much. _

_Zack launched himself at the smaller figure, reducing the distance between them dramatically in only seconds. Not wanting to go too hard on her, he was only planning on knocking her down. That is until a hard punch stopped him mid-track when it landed on his jaw. Groaning in pain, he felt a foot stomp on his and he glared at the smirk the woman wore._

"_Don't go easy on me." Was her words, and her voice surprised him. It was soft, and meek but it also demanded respect and assured him of her authority over him. He smirked and nodded, "Alright, but don't come crying to me when you lose." His fist swung upwards hard, connecting with her jaw. She returned it, and the soon were soon rolling over on the floor trying to pin the other._

_It was very disgraceful, as they were both clawing at one another's hair, and biting any skin they could reach. However something very suddenly made Zack loose focus. That something was a small but muscled thigh sliding between his legs and rubbing against his groin. A jolt of pleasure spiked through his body as he panted, body reacting accordingly to the touch._

_His lips parted wordlessly for a moment, breathing in sharply as he felt her body settled above his arousal and rock forward against it teasingly. He had forgotten about the training exercise until he opened his eyes and found those crimson eyes staring down on him, smirking. His wrists pinned above his head, he was pinned. He had lost, and the laughter surrounded him, heating up his cheeks into a rosy blush._

"_That wasn't fair!" Zack shouted, trying to squirm out from under Shadow as desperately as he could. Though it wasn't working even despite him outweighing her, since as he tried to escape the movements only sent more blood and pressure onto his growing arousal. "You lost," Was her amused reply as she stood, and looked down at him with an uncontrolled smirk._

_The laughter continued to chorus around him as he lay there, staring up at the young female who had taken him out. She had known he would be weak to his hormones, and utterly underestimate her. He watched her leave the training room, ignoring the instructors lecture on never underestimating an opponent, much less a woman. _

That morning, Zack awoke from his dream with a start.

* * *

OHOHO! How do you like me now? xD  
I thought it'd be interesting to see a bit of where Zack does know Shadow from, even though he's not too sure of himself. Well, he knows now a bit of it since he just dreamed it.  
I'm going to try and update this every week for my loyal readers!


	4. Chapter 4

Once again, thank you to my lovely reviewers! I really love both of you. xDD;  
But it does fuel me to keep writing, and I really do enjoy this story. The stories rating will go up to M, for obvious reasons being flash backs and Zack's probably gonna get some smecks. XD

Reno: Yo, Setsuna doesn't own anything yo.  
Setsuna: Nope! Not even my computer! ; ;

* * *

Zack awoke to sky blue eyes staring down at him. It helped relieve what shock he was experiencing from the dream he had. No, not a dream, they were memories. "What's up Cloudy?" Zack asked sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Cloud chuckled a bit and tilted his head slightly to one side. "Sephiroth sent me to wake you. Apparently you missed a meeting scheduled for this morning."

Zack groaned, lying back against the bed. "That was this morning? Shit, what time is it?" He sat up quickly and his mouth fell open. It was lunch time already? Looking around he noticed Shadow wasn't besides him and looked at Cloud worriedly. Cloud smiled a bit at Zack's worried look. "She went to some classes with me, and is getting you lunch." Zack's mouth opened a bit in surprise. "Does she remember anything?"

Cloud paused thoughtfully, and nodded a bit. "She remembers materia now, and a bit about ShinRa and the rank she held. She also remembers the layout of the buildings." Zack looked a bit curious, but got distracted as the door opened and Shadow stepped in carrying a large paper bag that smelled strongly of food. Jumping up, Zack ran over and hugged Shadow tightly, earning a string of curses from the girl's lips.

"You shouldn't leave without telling me!" He reprimanded with a serious look. Shadow raised an eyebrow, "I'm an adult Zack. I can do as I please." Zack pouted and took the bag of food from her arms, "No you can't while I'm in charge of you." He set the bag down and took out the sandwiches she had gotten them. "That ones mine, the burger is yours and this one is Clouds." She said with a small grin. Zack took the hamburger and opened it with surprise. "How'd you know?"

Shadow looked up as she handed Cloud his chicken sandwich, and shrugged a bit. "I don't know. I don't like anything on my hamburgers either." Zack smiled softly, maybe she did remember him. Not completely but she knew things about him that she couldn't explain. He couldn't remember her completely either, but perhaps they could remember together. _Together_…

He shook his head at the thought. He didn't like Shadow romantically. He loved Aerith. Hell, he was going to marry Aerith one day. Just because Shadow had possibly been something to him in the past didn't mean it would change his future. Looking up as he began eating his food, he watched Cloud and Shadow discuss their food – Shadow arguing hers was better then Cloud's. A small smile twitched on his lips as the blond pouted a bit but ignored the girl's teasing. Or tried to, that is.

A small amused laugh escaped his full lips, earning the two's attention. "So, Sephiroth wanted to see me when?" He asked the blond as he finished up his food. "As soon as you were done with lunch." Cloud responded with a light grin. Zack groaned a bit, and looked at Shadow before moving to ruffle her hair, "Thanks for the food princess."

Shadow let out an indignant huff, glaring up at him with a pout. "I wish you would stop calling me that." Zack laughed a bit and shook his head, "I bet you secretly like it!" Shadows pout faltered then, a small blush rising on her cheeks. "I do not! You're such a…gah!" She threw her arms in the air and flopped back onto the bed besides Cloud who was snickering a bit. "Don't encourage him!" She whined, smacking Cloud's side lightly. Cloud smirked a bit, "There is no discouraging him. He calls me Cloudy, Cloudy-boy, spikey, and Chocobo-head." He stated with a small frown of his own.

Shadow laughed a bit, and moved a hand to ruffle his hair, "I'm sorry." Zack had been watching the two with amusement before noticing that Shadow had picked up on his classic hair-ruffling technique. Or, that's what he called it. Smiling he moved over once more and, 'Awwhed!' before running out of the room while dodging various flying objects.

* * *

"How's the mission going, Zackary?" Sephiroth asked, an amused look on his face. Zack sighed as he tossed Sephiroth's stress ball up and down in the air, squeezing it occasionally. "Good I guess. I mean, she's remembering things quickly enough." Sephiroth didn't fail to notice the sound of disappointment in Zack's voice.

"Are you not…happy about that?" Sephiroth asked sounding slightly confused. Zack sighed, moving to sit up on the couch, squeezing the stress ball in his hand a few times in thought. "Yes…I'm happy that she's remembering. But I'm not helping her remember. Cloud is…I feel like, I don't know Seph." Zack said with a loud sigh. Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow curiously but licked his lips before he began to speak.

"Zackary…I take it you're beginning to remember things about Shadow?" His head was tilted in curiosity and Zack looked up with surprise. "Yeah, do you know how the hell I know her? Last night I had this dream of my first day in infantry training. I remember I had gotten beat by a third class, I just didn't know it was Shadow." A small smile was placed on Sephiroth's lips as he looked at the young man in front of him.

"When you first received mako injection upon entering the third class, you initially remembered her for the most part." He began slowly, his eyes moving to the ceiling thoughtfully. "You reached second class quicker then anticipated. With the following injections you forgot completely." Zack let out a frustrated noise and Sephiroth looked at him once again. "I'm not completely sure if it alone was simply the mako, or Hojo simply trying to interfere."

"That's not what I want to know Seph." Zack said with a frown, eminent of his frustration. "What I want to know is, what was she to me?" Sephiroth watched Zack for a few moments, noting how Zack shifted uncomfortably wondering what he was thinking. A minute went by before Sephiroth answered. "It's not my place to tell you Zackary." He ignored Zack's groans of protest as he continued, talking over the noises. "If I were to tell you, you wouldn't believe me or you would go through a memory relapse, remembering everything you once knew and undoubtingly pass out for days. I'm afraid you're just going to have to let nature take its course and remember on your own."

Zack glared at Sephiroth, a huff of annoyance escaping his lips. Why couldn't Sephiroth just let him pass out and miss a few days of work? Couldn't he see how missing a chunk of his past was affecting him? However in the midst's of his mental rantings, something clicked in his head. "Has Shadow received any mako injections lately?"

Sephiroth looked up in surprise, and grabbed the girl's file, flipping through it. "Yes…she undergoes monthly mako treatments such as myself. Though, I don't think it has anything to do with her forgetting what happened. The doctor that talked to her seemed to think it was caused by a sudden case of Post Traumatic Stress. Many SOLDIERs undergo this, and sometimes have to leave ShinRa. I wouldn't expect Shadow to have a mental emotional scarring, but apparently something traumatic happened in the attack that she doesn't want to remember."

Zack studied the general for a moment, "If it was so traumatic, why should we make her remember?" Sephiroth sighed, standing and moving a gloved hand through his long silver hair. "It's not that easy Zackary. The mind is a complicated thing. We as humans only use ten percent of it. You probably only use about nine." The general ignored the pouting that was rewarded from his teasing.

"The point is that she's been through traumatic events before. Killing people, sometimes even torturing them, despite that often being the Turks area of expertise. So, until she's ready she won't remember exactly what happened. All we are trying to do is find out what she does remember that might be of some sort of clue as to who attacked her and what information they were after. Why I put you in charge of her should have been obvious. But because it's not, I will point it out to you." Sephiroth turned to look at him in the eyes. Zack could feel those green mako eyes searching his, for what though, he didn't know.

"For someone to remember something traumatic and eventually get over it, they have to be comfortable. I don't just mean the room temperature either. I mean that she has to feel safe, and she must trust you. The fact that she is starting to remember things points that she does trust you at some level. She has forgotten much of you, as you have forgotten her. But I'm sure you'll both figure it out eventually."

* * *

Zack hated how Sephiroth knew more then him and wasn't letting him know what had went on in his and Shadow's past. It was utterly annoying and disruptive that when his phone rang he nearly jumped five feet. Looking at the called I.D. he smiled seeing Aerith's name and flipped his phone open, "Hey babe."

Aerith giggled from on the other line, shaking her head. "Hey to you too! I haven't seen you in awhile Zack. Where have you been?" Zack sighed, smiling slightly, "They keep working my ass off babe. But if you want I have time to come down this afternoon. Would that be okay?" He asked curiously, looking around the halls in boredom. "Yes! That'd be great. I can't wait to see you." She said excitedly. Zack chuckled a bit and smiled softly, "Me either, look I've got to go. I'll see you soon kay? Love ya." "Love you too Zack." She responded.

As Zack hung up his phone he jumped when a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. "Your girlfriend?" When he looked up, it was Shadow. Her lips were pulled upwards into a knowing smirk. He groaned a bit, hands moving to his hips, "So what if it was?" Shadow grinned a bit, the first time he had seen it. "Nothing, I just think it's cute that the puppy is in puppy-love." Zack pouted, but then paused a bit at the nickname. "How'd you know my nickname?"

Shadow paused, nibbling on her lower lip in thought. "Because we knew one another awhile ago Zack." Zack looked at her in surprise and stepped closer to her. "What do you remember?" He asked softly, a hand on her shoulder. The nibbling at her lip continued before she shrugged his hand off. "Not much just that we were friends." She said with a small smile. Zack felt his lips curving to return the smile. "I don't remember that yet. I remember when we first met and you kicked my ass."

Shadow looked up at him curiously and grinned, before she doubled over one hand hovering over her temple. Zack quickly moved to crouch besides her, gently easing her to stand. "Are you alright Shadow?" She didn't respond for a few moments before she looked at him with a small nod. "Yeah…sorry just had a flashback is all of what you were talking about."

Zack smiled and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You okay princess?" He asked softly, watching her. He felt her body tense under his administrations and used his thumb to gently caress her cheek. Her skin was so soft…

"I'm fine." She said softly moving her head away from him, a small blush tinting her cheeks causing Zack to grin.

"Alright, I have to head into town for something." He said moving a hand to rub his neck.

"To see your girlfriend right?" She asked suddenly, not looking at him.

Zack rubbed his neck, suddenly nervous about answering. "Yeah, I haven't seen her in awhile." Shadow nodded once, before she began walking down the hall without another word. Zack watched her for a moment, lifting an eyebrow curiously but deciding he'd have to wait until later to figure out if something was bothering the girl or not.

* * *

Aerith was ecstatic to see Zack. He was more then happy to see her as well. They chatted for awhile, talking about what was going on currently with both of them. Aeriths flower sales were doing good and Zack told her about his current mission and how he was slightly upset at how Cloud could make her feel safe and secure and he couldn't. Aerith just smiled and told him he was too used to being the knight in shining armor and maybe Shadow was falling in love with Cloud. When Aerith had said this, Zack's eyes widened in surprise. "You seem upset." Aerith said quietly to Zack who shook his head for a moment. "Just surprised…I wouldn't have thought Shadow would fall in love with Cloudy-boy." Aerith chuckled softly, and gently cupped his chin. "You worry about everyone else too much Zack."

As they kissed, Zack's mind began slipping and suddenly it wasn't Aerith he was kissing. It became Shadow as he slipped into a past memory he had long forgotten.

_It was night out and Shadow and Zack were laughing loudly as they took the elevator back to their apartments. It was Zack's birthday so they had gone out to celebrate with Reno and Kunsel to a well known bar in the center of Midgar. Needless to say both of them had a few drinks under their belts and Zack's arm was around Shadows waist to help her maneuver through the halls without falling on her face._

_"You're so clumsy princess." Zack teased as they came to a stop in front of Shadow's apartment. Shadow laughed quietly and fumbled in her pocket for her keycard. Zack who was slightly more sober then her took her hand and helped her slide the thin plastic card through the LED. As the light turned green Shadow stumbled inside, Zack following her and closing the door behind them._

"_Will you stay with me tonight Zack?" Shadow asked suddenly, causing Zack to move to sit besides her with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, I mean otherwise someone might find you dead upside down hanging from the ceiling or something." Zack joked, earning a light punch from Shadow. She was watching him quietly, and Zack smiled and ruffled her hair. Her hand came up to take his, their digits intertwining. Zack took an intake of breath, and suddenly Shadow's lips were on his own._

_They were so soft…like silk. His free hand moved to wrap his arm around her waist and bring her close to him so their chests were pressing together. Her lips pressed firmer against his, and he took the hint by allowing his tongue to trace her lips. They parted and he immediately delved into the warmth her mouth provided. She tasted amazing. He could taste the mixture of strawberries and liquor in her mouth, her hands moving to run through his hair._

It was then Zack snapped back into reality. This wasn't Shadows mouth on his, and there was no taste of strawberries or liquor. It made him pull back surprisingly fast, to the point Aerith looked hurt. "What's wrong Zack?" She asked softly. He shook his head, hands moving to rub his temples. "I'm sorry…I'm just really stressed." It was a bad, blatant lie. But he felt a sudden surge of relief as Aerith smiled knowingly at him. "Why don't you go home and get some sleep then?" Zack silently thanked the gods that Aerith didn't question him further.

* * *

It shouldn't have surprised Cloud that neither Zack nor Shadow was in the apartment when he returned after his afternoon classes. What did surprise him was when Shadow came in, looking extremely worn out. "Whats up?" He asked softly, glancing up from his text book. "I was just training is all. I figured there was no point in just lying around and becoming weak." Cloud looked at her and raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Do you know where Zack is?" He asked closing the book as he moved to sit next to her.

She looked at the ceiling, and Cloud noticed she was slightly irritated. "He went to go see his girlfriend." Cloud nodded a bit, and smiled slightly. "Are you jealous?" Shadow sat up and glared at him, and he stared right back into those crimson eyes. She made a noise of irritation, but said nothing for a long time. The silence that passed over them was not uncomfortable at all, oddly enough. But Cloud felt a small smile pull at his lips when Shadow finally answered with a hesitant no.

Cloud quirked an eyebrow and leaned closer to examine her, and smiled as she shifted under his scrutinizing. "You're lying." He said quietly with another smile, earning another sound of annoyance. "If you like Zack, you should just tell him." He stated firmly, with a nod. Shadow merely shook her head for a moment. "Zack and I used to date awhile ago. I only just remembered today. The mako injections he had made him forget me. We haven't talked in over a year." She replied to Cloud who frowned.

"You're talking now, besides just because you won't necessarily win his heart right away doesn't mean you should give up." Cloud responded stubbornly. Shadow let out a loud sigh and looked at Cloud with a weak forced smile. "I gave up on Zack awhile ago, Cloud. There was no point if he didn't remember me. Not to mention he found someone who makes him happy. I don't want to ruin that." Cloud sighed a bit, and gently took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him.

"I hate to say this, but you shouldn't just give up. I bet you could make him happy too. Gaia, you're making me sound like Zack." Cloud said as he moved his hand away and let out a small laugh. Shadow soon joined in, shaking her head. They looked at one another for a moment, and slowly they both leaned in and captured one another's lips. Neither of them noticed the violet eyes watching from the doorway.

* * *

Baahhaaha! Once again, another cliffhanger! I got to say personally as a writer I love cliffhangers. XD  
Yes yes, hate me all you want. -grin-


	5. Chapter 5

LIB5

Woohoo! Two new reviewers! I'm glad you both liked it, Axel and Xemnag. Sorry it took me so long to update, but schools been hell. I'm working kind of like a beast though. This chapter is short due to my rush to just post something. xDD;

Once again, I do not own anything. : D

* * *

The kiss was brief, despite the slamming door that caused an eerie echo around the apartment. Both participants pulled away, and looked towards the door. "Was that Zack?" Shadow asked, looking at the ground. Cloud bit his lower lip and nodded. "We should go find him." Shadow looked up at the blond and nodded slowly. "I don't…I don't know why he would be upset." Shadow said slowly, looking at Cloud. "He probably still has feelings for you. Besides…I hadn't meant for it to happen." He stated awkwardly, shifting away from her.

Her crimson eyes flickered to him, hurt obvious in them. "Shadow…we can't. You're too high of rank…and I don't feel that way about you." Cloud said softly, shifting under his gaze. "Oh…it's fine." Shadow replied quietly, standing and immediately going for the door. "Shadow!" Cloud shouted, flinching as the door slammed once again. Today…was obviously not his day.

* * *

Zack had no idea why he was so upset. Though the more he paced around the gym, the more obvious it became. _I still have feelings towards her._ He wanted her, like he used to. He wanted to feel her underneath him, moaning his name. He didn't want another man to touch her, or kiss her like he had just seen. He didn't want to have competition anymore. Not when he knew how he felt about the young woman.

He suddenly stopped walking though, feet faltering as a thought entered his mind. Did he deserve her? No, he didn't. He hadn't even remembered her until today. It was startlingly obvious why he hadn't heard or seen her until the accident. She had been avoiding him. The past two days she would only allow Cloud close to her. She only trusted Cloud. His anger grew, and he wanted to punch something. _She knew the whole time, didn't she?_

The hand on his shoulder caused him to jump, and turn around. "Sorry if I scared you." She stated quietly, looking up at him. He could feel her eyes try to penetrate his thoughts, and noting his angry look. "What do you want?" He asked, trying to sound normal though his voice was strained. "I love you." She stated quietly looking away.

Zack stared at her and blinked. "What?" He asked voice full of confusion. Shadow sighed a bit, arms crossing over her chest. "I said I love you." Zack watched her, as her face had the smallest tinge of red decorating her cheeks. Slowly he moved to wrap his arms around her, and pulled her close to his chest. "What about Cloud?" He asked softly, moving a hand to stroke her hair as her body tensed against his, but then relaxed at the familiar gesture. "There's nothing between me and Cloud. I was just trying to forget you. It was a stupid desperate move." She stated, causing Zack to smile down at her.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" He asked quietly, allowing her to rest her head against his chest. A small shrug was his answer, and he decided not to push it anymore. He sighed, allowing his head to move and rest against hers. It was oddly calming, to be in her embrace. Her scent filled his nostrils…she smelled of jasmine. It was rare, and he remembered it always drove him insane. Turning his head, he gently pressed a kiss to her ear, "I missed you." He murmured softly. She moved so their cheeks were pressed together and he could feel her smile, "I missed you too."

He wasn't sure what they were now, but he knew it would be wrong to kiss her now. But hell, he wanted to. It felt like centuries since he had felt her lips or body against his. But he couldn't while he was with Aerith. He didn't want to feel guilty, and he didn't want to put Aerith through that. It wasn't fair to the flower girl, nor the one in his arms. He knew now that his love for Aerith was like family love. He had mistaken it for so long…

"We should head back before Cloudy worries." He said softly, gently allowing his arms to unwrap from around her. She nodded softly, looking distracted. Sighing, he smiled lazily and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Stop worrying…I'm not going to use you. I'm going to break up with Aerith tomorrow." He stated, letting his lips linger on her skin.

"Good puppy." Shadow replied with a grin, earning a pout from Zack. "Shush." He told her, as his lips moved downwards to capture Shadows. Her lips were hesitant, but slowly returned the kiss and opened to allow his tongue in. Zack eagerly moved forward, tracing his tongue over every inch of her mouth and savoring the taste. He had missed this, even though he didn't remember everything. His arms encircled her, as the kiss became more heated as their tongues finally began toying with one another. Groaning softly into the kiss, Zack pulled Shadow flush against his body eliciting a spark to his groin.

Over the months he had with Aerith, they hadn't had sex. It was torturing him now as he jerked his hips down against Shadow, causing a surprised moan to escape her lips. They needed to stop while they were ahead, and he needed a cold shower very quickly. Pulling away, he panted slightly with a smile. "I missed that…but we should wait." He murmured against her lips, allowing her to nod.

Chuckling, he picked her up and laughed louder as the girl squirmed in his arms. "Zackary Fair, let me down this instant!" "No!" He replied with a Cheshire grin as he made his way through the halls and to the apartment he shared with Cloud. Kicking the door he shouted, "Cloudy boy, open the door!" It only took five seconds for the blond to scramble to the door and open it for Zack. His eyes widened and nearly popped out at the sight before him. Zack, carrying Shadow with a more then slightly inconspicuous tent in his pants.

"You're not fucking her, are you?" He asked worriedly, really not wanting to be kept up from moans tonight. It would only cause him similar problems to the one Zack was having right now. Zack snorted loudly, setting Shadow down on her feet who in turn smacked Cloud. "No, we just uhm...made up is all." Zack said with a lazy grin, earning a glare from Shadow. "We didn't do anything though!" Zack added hastily in reply to the glare. Cloud snorted, but Zack interrupted him suddenly with a smirk. "I forgive ya Cloudy for kissing my future woman. I know she's hot."

"Am I a piece of meat?" Shadow asked with a frown as she moved to lie down on Zack's bed. "Yep," Zack answered cheerfully, giving Cloud a playful wink who simply rolled his eyes knowingly. "I'm going to take a shower." Zack said, hurrying off to do just that. "I told you he liked you." Cloud said to Shadow, arms crossing over his chest. "Bite me." Shadow retorted, rolling so her back was facing him. "Don't you have Zack for that?" Cloud teased, causing Shadow to raise her middle finger to him lazily. "Don't you have your hand for that?" She retorted, earning a snort from Cloud as he sat down on his own bed.

It was about a half hour later that Zack came out, dressed but ready for bed none the less. Plopping down on the bed besides Shadow, he moved his legs under the covers and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He could tell by her breathing that she was asleep, and the silence around the room stated that Cloud was as well. There was no point in waking either, so he gently pressed a kiss to Shadows head and rested his head against the pillow.

He just had to break up with Aerith tomorrow, and everything would be right then. He fell asleep shortly after thinking this, falling into a deep sleep that he had not experienced in months.


	6. Chapter 6

**Life is Beautiful Chapter 6**

Hello all, I am so sorry (again) for the huge gap in updates. I had finals, kind of, and my computer ended up getting a virus. Well, multiple viruses. So, now it's fixed and I'm going to write again! I'm still debating how I'm going to end this, because I'm not following the exact plot for the games. I'm using it as a basic guideline. What I think I'm going to end up doing is just having two endings. Both will probably continue on into Advent children, and maybe DOC once I actually play it. X_X

I'm lazy as hell. xD

Suggested Listening for this chapter: Temptation by Cradle of Filth, Good Looks, bad intentions by The Sunstreak and Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls. :3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Shadow Tessiel. She is my original character which I plugged into this random ass plot.

**Warning: THIS IS NOT WORK SAFE. BLAME CLOUD. xDD**

* * *

There was something about waking up next to your ex-lover that caused you to wake up with a massive hard on. Zack wasn't quite sure if it was the fact that he hadn't had sex in awhile, or if it was purely because of who was sleeping besides him. She was sleeping so peacefully he didn't want to wake her, but the pain in his groin made him groan and shift uneasily. He needed to get up, and either take another cold shower or beat the morning wood. While he'd rather have Shadow's hand on him, coaxing him into orgasm, it wasn't exactly right to do such things while he was still technically with Aerith. But he was in serious pain at the moment, and her shifting closer didn't help.

"Shadow…"Zack whispered, shaking her shoulders as gently as possible, trying to keep his hips positioned as far from her as possible to avoid any contact. The young woman swatted at him with a grumble, rolling onto her other side. A soft laughter made Zack look up to spot an amused looking Cloud on the other side of the room in his boxers trying to hold back any further amusement. "Oh shut up. It's not funny," Zack whined at the blond, struggling to try and not awake the female but get out of bed anyways. "You really did miss her." Cloud stated, hiding his smirk behind a box of cereal.

"I said shut up!" Zack hissed with a pout, not aware that Shadow's eyes had slid open to look at him. "What the hell is poking me?" She asked finally, sitting up. Zack jumped, covering up the tent with the blanket as best as he could, "Nothing!" Shadow raised an eyebrow, and gave a quick yank to the blanket that had been strategically placed over Zack's lap. Zack looked down, and blushed a bit, hand moving to rub his neck. Shadow snickered a bit, "So you did miss me." Cloud burst out laughing, Zack letting out a noise of frustration. "I swear you two have a mental connection!"

"Or I could have simply been awake and heard what he said." Shadow said with a shrug, stretching her arms above her head. "Either way, you two always gang up on me, and it's not…FUCK!" He hadn't been expecting the hand that wrapped around his arousal and the gentle stroke it was given. His hips arched into the hand eagerly, biting his lower lip. He had already forgotten Cloud was there, by the simple touches that were dealt to him. Her thumb had wandered up to trace a circle around his head, making him groan, hips thrusting again with need. "Do you really have to do that while I'm here?" Cloud asked, trying to ignore the fact that Zack was being jerked off in front of him. Shadow snorted a bit, but smirked, "Good point. Sorry Zack, you'll have to take care of that yourself."

A loud whine escaped Zack's lips as her hand left him, and he pouted and looked glaringly at Cloud. "Sorry, but I'd rather not see you in the throes of passion." Cloud stated, munching on his cereal as if nothing had happened. Shadow merely smirked, standing up and moving to steal some cereal from Cloud with another spoon. Zack swore if the circumstances were different those two would be the ones together. Shaking his head he stood and quickly made his way into the bathroom and secured the door from the inside so the two wouldn't plot against him. However he was not disturbed. Otherwise he might have ravished Shadow had she attempted to sneak in or something. For this he was thankful.

When he exited the shower they were still there but lounging on the couch together watching TV. A small twinge of jealousy passed over him, which he ignored as he smiled brightly and moved to flop on the other side of Shadow and pull her into his lap. "Zack," She warned, scooting away from him with a grin. He pouted, but said nothing instead wrapping an arm around her. "So, why're you two still around? Cloud don't you have classes?" Cloud looked up at the black haired man and grinned, "Normally I would. But Shadow excused me from class since I'm helping her find her materia since her key finally arrived." Shadow grinned and Zack let out a loud whine. "You both hate me, never including me in your plotting!" Cloud snickered while the girl merely raised an eyebrow, "Don't you have work to do Zack?" He blinked at the seriousness for a moment. Oh, she meant Aerith. He shifted and nodded, "Yeah now that you mention it I do."

* * *

As he walked through the slums towards the church, he wondered if he could do it. Could he really break up with Aerith for his ex girlfriend? No, Shadow wasn't just his girlfriend…she was something deeper. His lover? No, that didn't quite fit either. All he knew was that there was no one else like her and he loved her. He had thought he had loved Aerith, but he hadn't. Not like he loved Shadow. It's why he never actually cared whether or not they had sex. Why their kisses had been so innocent. He had never really been into them. He realized now, Aerith was a dear friend. He thought of her more like a sister then anything else. He couldn't be with her. He just didn't want to break her heart.

Sighing, he pushed the door back on the church to be greeted by her wrapping her arms around his neck. "Zack! I was expecting you; the planet said you would come." She was happy, and obviously the planet had not told her why. Or perhaps, she knew and didn't want to ruin the mood. Zack smiled at her, wrapping her in a tight but friendly embrace. He flicked her braid thoughtfully for a moment and smiled. She did look cute in pink.

"What else did the planet tell you?" He asked, unable to help himself. He let go of her and looked down, trying to keep a cheerful face. The face however slid into a look of worry. He didn't want to hurt her, it wasn't fair to her. But it wasn't fair to him either. "It told me why you were coming, and Zack, it's alright." She said, smiling up at him. He blinked, taken aback slightly as he placed a hand on her cheek. "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you." Aerith smiled, removing his hand from her cheek. "I'm sure, the planet didn't intend for it to go this way…but something changed. You belong with her, you always have. You never remembered her around me, not clearly anyways but certain memories were always empty without her…weren't they?"

He knew what she meant almost immediately. Sometimes when he would tell her things, he'd wonder to himself what he had forgotten. He would always comment to her that something was out of place and it was probably due to the mako. He had never even begun to suspect it was something like that. After all there had been many women in his life before Aerith. It was irony that the most important one would be forgotten. He gathered the girl in a tight embrace and held her close. "I'm sorry it had to be like this." She said nothing, merely patting his back for a moment. "It's fine; it's not your fault." She smiled, and he did notice the brief look of approaching tears in her eyes. He pulled away and smiled, her returning it. "Go on, they need you."

He smiled once more, waving over his shoulder. He knew who she was talking about. Cloud and Shadow, they both needed him for different reasons. He didn't look back as he exited the church, but his face did fall. He knew she was crying even though she understood this was the way things had to be. He didn't want to see her crying. He didn't want to see her broken, trying to hold it all together in front of him. It was the other reason he left. He didn't want to feel guilty for what he had done. It had to be done. There was no love from his end, and it wasn't fair to keep her like that. Not when his heart belonged to another. He knew her pain would pass in time, and then maybe things could go back to normal.

* * *

It was around lunch time when he returned, and he found Shadow and Cloud lounging on the couch again, materia stacked on the coffee table in front of them. They were watching Jeopardy with a carton of ice cream between them, nearly empty. Zack pouted, bounding over the couch besides Shadow to pull her into his lap. She let out a noise that sounded like a squawk and flailed her arms. Cloud and Zack laughed loudly as he pulled her close as she punched him lightly. Shadow tried to kick Cloud, who easily shifted out of her legs reach. Smirking Zack lower his face besides her ear, "If you're done watching TV, we can kick Cloudy out and…catch up."

Her face flushed as she shifted in his lap, having an idea of what he was talking about. Zack noticed Cloud watching them, as he stood taking the ice cream and putting it in the freezer. "I'm going out for lunch, I'll be back in about an hour, kay?" As soon as he was gone, Zack was on her literally. His lips had sought hers, the taste of strawberries filling his senses as his tongue tangled with hers. His hands tangled in her beautiful black hair, moving down her body. He had missed this so much. Her touch, taste, feel and smell. When he had removed all of her clothing, his eyes, hands and mouth explored every curve of her body and every square inch of skin. She had changed, not much, but had grown since the last time they had done this. Her breasts were bigger, and her legs were longer. She had a scar on her stomach that hadn't been there before. When his clothes came off, the actions were repeated by Shadow, Zack's groans echoing her previous soft ones as she kissed and explored his body.

He ended up taking her right there on the couch, then again on his bed later. Loud moans and eventually pleasured screams from both parties filled the room, bodies glistening with sweat. Zack had never felt such pleasure in his life as he did when he was with Shadow.

* * *

Cloud returned an hour and a half later, and stopped outside. The room on the other side of the door was quiet, therefore he entered. He smiled inside, seeing the two lying on Zack's bed, cover over them. The room smelled distinctly of sex, but he didn't mind, as long as there was nothing on his bed for Gaia's sake. Zack wasn't stirring at all, the sound of his snoring made Cloud shake his head as he sat down at the table, and merely looked at the couple. He wanted that. Being able to love someone so unconditionally not matter what. Shadow was curled up on Zack's chest, her black hair cascading down her pale back. Cloud shifted his eyes away in a guilty manner, throat going dry. Why did that arouse him? The fact that there was a naked woman on top of Zack might be the reason. He had seen Zack naked before, but that wasn't the problem. The idea of Zack with Shadow was what was arousing him. He groaned, a hand moving to rub his temples. Why was he being hormonal now? Maybe it was just the smell of sex, or the heat. God his pants hurt right now. Standing he slowly moved to the bathroom and closed the door. Slowly he unzipped his pants, gripping his arousal in his hand. He groaned softly, as his hand began sliding up and down his length. It was growing, even now. He couldn't help but imagine what seeing them together would be like. Shadow underneath Zack, milky toned legs wrapped around his tanned flesh as he slammed his cock inside of her. Her head thrown back in pleasure as his fingers pinched at her pink hardened nipples as he continued working in and out of her. Her face was contorted in pleasure as she cried out Zack's name. Suddenly, it became his name and his body pounding into hers. "Cloud…! Oh, Harder Cloud!" She begged him, and he jerked his hips harsher into his hand as he mentally fucked Shadow into the bed.

"Oh Gaia…" He groaned, his orgasm quickly approaching. He didn't notice the door open right away, but he got distracted when the door slammed shut and feet could be heard. Being taking by surprised, a loud groan escaped him as he came into his hand. He cursed, wiping himself off, and washing his hands and exited the bathroom slowly. He looked up to find Shadow sitting on the edge of the bed, Zack curled around her. She was dressed, and looked up at him embarrassed. Both of them didn't know what to do or say.


End file.
